US20120148840A1 - Long-fiber-reinforced polymer material and method and installation for its manufacture - Google Patents

Abstract

The fiber-reinforced polymer material, in particular for processing in the injection molding and extrusion method, is composed of granular materials having integrated long-fiber reinforcement. The granular materials are designed as wound elements (5), which have continuous fiber strands (3) including continuous reinforcing fibers (1) impregnated with polymer material (2). The wound elements (5) contain more than one turn (6) of the impregnated continuous fiber strands (3), wherein the turns (6) at least partially overlap each other such that the turns are arranged over each other and/or next to each other. The wound elements (5) can be continuously produced by winding and solidifying the impregnated continuous fiber strands (3) around a winding axis (23) or on a winding core (22) and subsequently separating the wound elements from each other, in particular by means of a winding core moved in an oscillating (+x1, −x1) manner and using melted thermoplastic polymer material (2).

Description

• The invention relates to a long-fiber-reinforced polymer material, in particular for processing in the injection moulding method or extrusion method, consisting of granular materials with integrated long-fiber reinforcement, according to the preamble ofclaim1, as well as to a method and to an installation for manufacturing this long-fiber-reinforced polymer material. Materials known for application in injection moulding methods and extrusion methods are short-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form of granular materials with 0.1 to 5 mm fiber length and long-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form of rod-like granular materials with fiber lengths of 5 mm to 50 mm, wherein rod-like granular materials more than 25 mm long can only be processed with modified, large, special plasticisation assemblies. One usually obtains lengths of 10 mm, 12 mm or 25 mm. Non-continuous winding methods, e.g. for manufacturing containers and pipes with continuous fiber rovings, are known as methods for manufacturing components with very long fibers. A special injection moulding installation is known e.g. from WO 00/37233, with which a continuous fiber strand is mixed into the compounder and is injected in a directly discontinuous manner (in-line compounding). This method however basically necessitates special complicated, expensive injection moulding installations.
• Long fibers in the resulting injection moulded components can only be achieved to a very limited extent with the known polymer materials. When processing known rod-like granular materials with screw plasticisation assemblies, the relatively long fibers are subjected to high shear loads which lead to most of the long fibers being broken and massively shortened. Moreover, the maximal fiber length is also limited by the length of the rod-like granular material. This problem of the shortening of the fibers, above all on feeding and in the solid-matter conveyor region of screw machines, has not been solved to this date. The problem becomes more acute, the smaller are the applied screw diameters. In particular, the processing of LFT rod-like granular materials with screw diameters below 60 mm is not possible today without changes with regard to the machine.
• It is therefore the object of the present invention, to overcome the disadvantages and limitations of the known long-fiber-reinforced polymer materials and to provide a continuously manufacturable, long-fiber-reinforced polymer material which after the processing, in particular permits much longer fibers in the component and thus much better mechanical properties than was previously the case. This above all should also permit the processing on existing, smaller injection moulding installations and extrusion installations with smaller screw diameters, even of less than 45 mm.
• According to the invention, this object is achieved by a long-fiber-reinforced polymer material according toclaim1, by a method according toclaim11, and by an installation according toclaim18 for the continuous manufacture of the long-fiber-reinforced polymer material as well as by a component and a method for manufacturing a component with wound elements. With the shaping and construction of the wound elements according to the invention, much greater fiber lengths and a much greater share of long fibers are achieved in the components manufactured with these, and thus the mechanical properties of these components such as strength, stiffness and impact strength are greatly improved. The shaping of the wound elements on the one hand results in large fiber lengths in the compact round granular material and on the other hand permits a gentle processing with less fiber breakages and thus greater fiber lengths in the component.
• The dependent patent claims relate to advantageous further formations of the invention with particular advantages with respect to the rational manufacture, processing and optimal characteristics or properties of the long-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form of wound elements, and significantly better mechanical properties of the components manufactured with this.
• The invention is hereinafter explained further by way of embodiment examples and figures, and thereby there are shown in:
• FIG. 1 schematically, a manufacture of granular materials according to the invention, with long-fiber reinforcement in the form of wound elements,
• FIG. 2a, ban example of a wound element with three turns lying over one another,
• FIG. 3 a further example of a wound element with 1½ turns,
• FIG. 4 an example of a wound element with turns lying next to one another,
• FIG. 5-8 different examples of wound elements with turns lying over one another and next to one another,
• FIG. 9aa manufacture of wound elements by way of forming windings on a winding core,
• FIG. 9ba wound element with turns partly lying over one another,
• FIG. 10 an installation for the continuous manufacture of wound elements,
• FIG. 11a,ba manufacture of wound elements with turns lying over one another,
• FIG. 12a, ba manufacture of wound elements with turns lying next to one another,
• FIG. 12ca manufacture of wound elements in mixed form,
• FIG. 13a, ba manufacture of wound elements with turns lying over one another and next to one another,
• FIG. 14a, ba manufacture of wound elements with an additional displacement of the running-in, impregnated continuous fiber strand,
• FIG. 15a-ddifferent examples of winding cores,
• FIG. 16 several continuously manufactured wound elements before the separation,
• FIG. 17 individual wound elements as a fourfold curl,
• FIG. 18 wound elements as a granular material,
• FIG. 19 the resulting fiber lengths in an injection moulded part, in comparison:
• FIG. 19a-manufactured from known rod-like granular materials,
• FIG. 19b-manufactured from wound elements according to the invention, as a granular material,
• FIG. 20a, ba multiple winding installation with many winding locations,
• FIG. 21 an installation with a winding core of polymer material.
• FIG. 1-8 show different examples ofwound elements5 according to the invention,
• FIG. 9-14 illustrate methods and installations for the continuous manufacture of granular material consisting ofwound elements5.
• FIGS. 16-19 show pictures of continuously manufactured wound elements and the resulting, very large fiber lengths in an injection moulded part manufactured fromwound elements5.
• FIG. 1 schematically shows a continuous manufacture of fiber-reinforced polymer material, in particular for processing in the injection moulding method and extrusion method, consisting of granular materials with integrated long-fiber reinforcement, wherein the granular materials of polymer material are formed aswound elements5. Thewound elements5 comprisecontinuous fiber strands3 ofcontinuous reinforcement fibers1 impregnated withpolymer material2, wherein thewound elements5 contain more than one turn6 of the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strands3, and the turns6 in thewound elements5 at least partly overlap7, by way of them being arranged lying over one another and/or next to one another. The continuous manufacture of thesewound elements5 is described in a detailed manner with regard to theFIGS. 9-14,20,21.
• FIG. 1 shows an impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 which is wound onto a rotating windingcore22 for forming wound elements5.1,5.2,5.3, in each case with five turns6.1-6.5 which lie over one another and which overlap (7). Thewound elements5 are advanced on the windingcore22 in a stepped manner in the +x-direction of thewinding axis23 and are solidified (FIG. 10,11) and subsequently separated form one another by way of a cutting device. The running-in, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 can e.g. have a flat cross-sectional shape or also a round shape3.2, e.g. for turns according toFIG. 4 which lie next to one another, depending on the desired shape of thewound elements5.
• Thewound elements5 according to the invention can comprise turns6 lying over one another=curled51 (according toFIGS. 1-3,5,10,11,16-18), turns lying next to one another=spiral-shaped52 (according toFIG. 4,6,7,9a,12) or turns lying over one another and next to one another, in a combined manner=53 (according toFIG. 8,9b,12c,13,14). Thewound elements5 preferably comprise turns lying at least partly over one another for many applications.
• On advancing and melting thewound elements5 in a compounder of a shaping process (e.g. injection moulding), curledwound elements51 with turns lying over one another maintain their shape longer, the turns are broken up less rapidly and are mixed through less rapidly than with spiral-shaped wound elements52 with turns lying next to one another. The curledwound elements51 therefore tend to have particularly less fiber breakages with accordingly longer fibers in the components and are intermixed to a lesser extent, whilst the spiral-shaped wound elements52 tend to break up more rapidly, to have a greater intermixing, but less long fibers in the component—not as long as with curled wound elements—but much longer that with granular materials until now.
• Withmixed forms53 of the wound elements, with turns lying to some extent over one another and to some extent next to one another, as well as by way of the number and size of the turns in the wound elements, one can influence and optimise the desired characteristics in the component manufactured therefrom (fiber length, distribution, degree of mixing).
• Curledwound elements51 are particularly suitable for achieving as large as possible fiber lengths in a component.
• FIG. 2a, bin two views show awound element5 with three turns6.1,6.2,6.3 lying over one another, with the linear dimensions L=length, B=width, H=height. Thewound elements5 have an as compact as possible, round shape, in the broadest sense approximated to a ball shape or square cylinder shape. With this, relatively very large fiber lengths f which amount to a multiple of the fiber lengths of known long-fiber granular materials can be produced in a relatively small volume of the granular material.
• FIG. 3 shows an example of awound element5 with only 1½ turns6.1,6.2 lying over one another. Already with this, one can achieve fiber lengths f which amount to threefold of the linear dimension H. Thewound elements5 can advantageously each have at least two turns6, preferably three to eight turns.
• FIG. 4 shows an example with four turns6.1-6.4 lying next to one another=spiral-shaped wound element52.
• FIGS. 5-8 in cross section of a windingcore22 with awinding axis23 show further examples ofwound elements5 with turns6 lying over one another and next to one another.FIG. 5 shows a wound element5.1 with three turns6.1-6.3 lying over one another,FIG. 6 a wound element with four turns6.1-6.4 lying next to one another andFIG. 7 a wound element with four compacted turns6.1-6.4 lying next to one another, i.e. each subsequent turn here lies partly on the previous turn. The ratio of the height H to the length L=H/L can be increased by way of this.
• FIG. 8 shows awound element5 as a combinedform53, with three turns lying next to one another and three turns lying thereabove. The turns6.4-6.6 are wound over the turns6.1-6.3. The manufacture of these different types of wound elements is described further with regard toFIGS. 11-14.
• Thewound elements5 can preferably have a ratio of maximum/minimum of the linear dimensions (L, B, H): max (L, B, H)/min (L, B, H) of at the most 2-3. These linear dimensions L, B, H of the wound elements can be 5-20 mm for most applications, wherein larger dimensions are also possible.
• The wound elements according to the invention can basically comprisepolymer material2 of all types. The wound elements can advantageously be applied in thermoplastic manufacturing methods and accordingly comprisethermoplastic polymer material2 of the known type, e.g. with thermoplasts such as polypropylene PP, polyamides PA, technical and high-performance polymers, new e.g. PCTG=polycyclohexandimethylenterphthalate etc. However, duromers such as epoxides EP, polyester UP etc. can also be applied as apolymer material2 for thewound elements5, depending on the application. Elastomers such as polyurethane, EPDM etc. can also be applied aspolymer material2.
• One can achieve good mechanical characteristics with a fiber share of 10-70%, preferably 20-60% by weight and with fiber lengths f of more than 25 mm of the impregnated continuous fiber stands3 in thewound elements5, wherein fiber lengths of 200 mm and more are also possible depending on the application. As is known, glass fibers, carbon fibers, aramide fibers etc. can be applied as reinforcement fibers. Thewound elements5 apart from the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strands3 can also yet containadditional polymer material2.Pure polymer material2 can also be admixed to the wound elements as a granular material (with high fiber content) and thus the end fiber content in the component manufactured with this can be set.
• FIGS. 9-11 show installations and methods for the continuous manufacture ofwound elements5 according to the invention, on a rotating windingcore22.
• FIG. 9 illustrates a continuous manufacture of windings6a, which are cut up intoindividual wound elements5 after the solidification.
• FIGS. 10 and 11 show a continuous manufacture ofwound elements5 by way of retracting and advancing an oscillating, rotating windingcore22 about a path x1.
• FIG. 9ashows a part of an installation, analogously toFIG. 10, for manufacturing wound elements by way of the formation of continuous windings6awith a windingcore22 which here rotates in the clockwise direction +21 and onto which a running-in, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 is continuously wound. Thecontinuous fiber strand3 running in at one side (rear) is subsequently advanced at the other side (front) by way of a stationary guide element or guideplate26, in the direction +x by a path xa, in order to make space (8) available for the running-incontinuous fiber strand3 and thus for the formation of the next turn6.5. All already manufactured turns6.4,6.3 . . . form a continuous winding6awhich is displaced in the +x-direction and is thereby solidified. Subsequently, the winding6ais cut up at defined lengths L by way of a separating device or cuttingdevice27, and theindividual wound elements5 with a length L are produced with this.
• FIG. 9bshows an example ofwound elements5 inmixed form53 with turns6.1-6.4 which lie partly over one another and which can be manufactured with an installation according toFIG. 9a, for example by way of theguide element26 advancing the running-incontinuous fiber strand3 only by half the amount xa/2 (26′), with the same rotational speed of the windingaxis23. One can also produce partly overlapping turns by way of adjustingguide elements24.
• The general method for the continuous manufacture of granular materials from long-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form ofwound elements5 comprises the following method steps:
• (41) winding off a roving ofcontinuous reinforcement fibers1 and impregnating with molten orliquid polymer material2 for forming an impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3,
  (42) winding the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 in turns6 lying over one another and/or next to one another, about a windingaxis23 for forming windings6a,
  (43) and thereby displacing the formed windings in the axial direction +x,
  (45) solidifying the windings6aduring the further displacement in the axial direction +x,
  (46) subsequent cutting through the solidified windings6aat defined distances L and the formation ofindividual wound elements5 by way of this.
• Thereby, a rotating windingcore22 can be applied as a windingaxis23.
• A particularly advantageous further formation of the method comprises a periodic forwards and backward movement of the windingcore22, as is represented in theFIGS. 10-14:
• The method additionally comprises a movement (−x1, +x1) of the windingcore22, which oscillates in the axial direction, with the following steps:
• (42) winding the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 for forming a wound element5.1 in a winding position8.1 on the winding core, subsequently
  (43) retracting −x1 the windingcore22 and, by way of this, advancing the already formedwound elements5 on the winding core and subsequently
  (44) advancing +x1 the winding core and, by way of this, releasing a new winding position8.2 for the production of a next wound element5.2
  (45) solidifying thewound elements5 with the further advance (+x) on the winding core
  (46) cutting through the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 and with this, the separation of theindividual wound elements5 from one another.
• The method according to the invention is in particular suitable for the manufacture of thermoplastic, long-fiber-reinforced polymer material. Thereby, in the method step (41), thecontinuous reinforcement fibers1 are impregnated with heated, moltenthermoplastic polymer material2 and in method step (45) thewound elements5 are cooled on the windingcore22 and solidified by way of this. This is carried out in an installation according toFIGS. 10 and 11a.
• Instead of a metallic windingcore22 as part of the production installation, in a further method variant, one can also use a windingcore22aas a material to be consumed, which consists of the samethermoplastic polymer material2 as thewound elements5. Thereby, firstly a rod of non-reinforced or preferably reinforcedpolymer material2 is formed or premanufactured, and subsequently in the cold, solid condition is used as a rotating windingcore22afor winding the molten, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 and then in method step (46) is cut through together with the impregnated continuous fiber strand by the separatingdevice27. A piece of thepolymer winding core22athen together with the turns6 form awound element5.
• FIG. 21 shows an installation for carrying out this method. The windingcore22ais preferably manufactured by way of impregnating a continuous fiber roving withpolymer material2 analogously to the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strands3. With this, and by way of suitable shaping, thepolymer winding core22ashould have a high torsional strength and a good contact to the moltencontinuous fiber strand3 which is to be wound up. For this, thepolymer winding core22ais kept as cool as possible, before, after and at the windinglocation8 by way of targeted cooling, so that it does not become soft in the inside. The rod-like windingcore22ae.g. is wound off from areel29 and by way of afeed device36 is advanced to the windinglocation8, is wrapped around by the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3, then greatly cooled17 and subsequently by way of awithdrawal device37 is advanced further in the axial direction x to aseparating device27. Thefeed device36 and thewithdrawal device37 both rotate thepolymer winding core22aabout the windingaxis23 and advance it in the axial direction x.
• With the use of duromers or elastomers as apolymer material2, cold-impregnatedcontinuous fiber strands3 are formed in the method step (41), and in method step (45) thewound elements5 on the windingcore22 are solidified by way of heating and polymerisation.
• FIG. 10 shows an installation for the continuous manufacture of granulates of long-fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer material in the form ofwound elements5. The installation comprises the following elements:
• a winding-offunit11 for a roving ofcontinuous reinforcement fibers1, a subsequent melt (molten mass) feed13 ofthermoplastic polymer material2 and a melt andimpregnation device12 for forming a molten, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3,
• a windingdevice18 with a windingcore22 for winding up, cooling and solidifying the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 and for formingwound elements5 with more than one turn6 and turns6 lying over one another and/or next to one another,
• with arotation motor20 for the drive of the windingcore22 with a cooling device19 (e.g. a water cooling)
• and with alinear drive30, with which the windingcore22 can be moved in the axial direction in an oscillating manner (−x1, +x1)
• for retracting −x1 the windingcore22 and by way of this, for advancing the formedwound elements5 on the winding core
• and for the subsequent advance +x1 of the winding core, and by way of this release of a next winding position8.2 for winding a next wound element5.2,
• with acooling device17 for cooling and solidifying thewound elements5 on the winding core
• and with a separatingdevice27 for separating the individual solidified woundelements5 as well as with acontrol35 of the installation.
• The installation ofFIG. 10 further comprises: aheating14 in the melt andimpregnation device12, air coolings17.1,17.2,17.3, a holding-back plate25 for holding back thewound elements5 on retracting the windingcore22, as well asguide plates24,24.2 for the running-in, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3. This is illustrated further by way ofFIG. 11. One can e.g. also apply a water spray cooling for the rapid solidification of thewound elements5 on the winding core, instead of the air cooling17.3. The separatingdevice27 can be designed as a cutting device in a mechanical manner, by way of a water jet or laser.
• FIG. 11a, bin a part of the installation according toFIG. 10 and in a more detailed manner, show the manufacture ofwound elements5, here with three (curled51) turns6.1-6.3 lying over one another, on a winding core with a rotation direction −21 (in the counter-clockwise direction).FIG. 11bshows the temporal course s22 (t) of the movement of the windingcore22 in the axial direction x: with (43) retraction by the path −x1 (with this, displacement of the formed wound elements5.1, . . . ), (44) advance by +x1 (with this, release of the new winding position8.2), then (42) winding the turns6.1,6.2,6.3=wound element5.2, then again (43), (44) etc. The formed woundelements5 are pushed together by way of the retraction (43) of the winding core (22). For this reason, the windingregion8 and the path x1 is larger than the resulting length L of thewound elements5.FIG. 11ashows adjustable guide elements or guideplates24,24.2 which are connected to one another and which are displaceable together in the x-direction, so that the run-in location of the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 within the released windingposition8 is additionally displaceable (x2) for positioning the windings6iwhen winding up. This is illustrated with the example ofFIG. 14a, b. One can also influence the cross-sectional shape of the running-incontinuous fiber strand3 withguide plates24, e.g. as inFIG. 1 a flatcross-sectional shape3, a round cross-sectional shape3.1 or a somewhat high cross-sectional shape as shown inFIG. 7.
• FIG. 12a, bschematically illustrate a manufacture of wound elements with (spiral-shaped52) turns6.1-6.3 which lie next to one another, in an installation according toFIG. 10. The oscillating movement s22(t) of the windingcore22 runs as follows: (43) refraction by the path x1 (and release of8.1), then advance (44) and simultaneous winding up of the turns6.1-6.3, then refraction again (43), etc.
• FIG. 12cschematically illustrates awound element5 inmixed form53 manufactured in an installation according toFIG. 10,11a, with which the turns6.1,6.2,6.3 are partly wound over one another (shown schematically inFIG. 12c) by way of moving the windingcore22 according toFIG. 12bor by way of a suitable shaping or guiding of thecontinuous fiber strand3 by theguide element24, and then are yet pushed together instep43 by way of refracting the windingcore22.
• FIG. 13a, bshows the manufacture of wound elements with turns6.1-6.4 which in a combined manner lie over one another and next to one another. According to the course of s22(t), after the retraction (43), a first advance (44) and winding (42) of the turn6.1 is effected, thereupon then the winding of the turn6.2, then a second advance (44) and winding of the turn6.3 (next to the turn6.1), then winding the turn6.4 onto the turn6.3, then refraction again (43) etc.
• FIG. 14a, bshow a manufacture of wound elements (53), with turns6.1-6.6 lying over one another and next to one another. Here, the position of the running-in, impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3 within the released windingposition8 can be additionally displaced by way ofguide plates24,24.2 adjustable in the x-direction, as this is shown inFIG. 11a. This lateral displacement s24(t) of the guide plates is represented inFIG. 14b, additionally to the axial movement of s22(t) of the winding core, s22(t) runs analogously to the movement of the winding core in the example ofFIG. 11b. During the winding (42), here theguide plates24,24.2 according to s24(t) are additionally displaced in a stepwise manner firstly in the direction −x (for the turns6.1,6.2,6.3), then in the direction +x (for the turns6.4-6.6). The complete displacement path s24 (t) is x2.
• FIG. 15a-dshow examples of windingcores22 in cross section. The winding must be effected in the plastic (molten) condition. A high friction value in the radial direction is desired for transmitting the necessary tension force for winding from the windingcore22 onto the impregnatedcontinuous fiber strand3, and an as low as possible friction value is desired in the axial direction for advancing the wound elements. For this, the windingcore22 can have a suitable shaping, e.g. withgrooves32 according toFIG. 15aor with ribs and edges34 in the winding-updirection21 according toFIGS. 15band15c. The winding cores are moreover designed in a slightly conical manner in the longitudinal direction x.
• The surface can comprise a smooth, wear-resistant, hard coating, e.g. of titanium carbide, for improving the friction values and for minimising wear. The winding cores for the purpose of a good cooling consist of metal with a good thermal conduction, e.g. of brass. A particularly good cooling effect can be achieved with hollow winding cores according toFIG. 15dwith an internal feed channel and adischarge channel33 for cooling water.
• FIGS. 16-18 show photos of producedwound elements5 according to the invention, of polypropylene PP with 50% glass-fiber reinforcement in the form of fourfold curls with 80 mm fiber length:
• FIG. 16: several continuously manufactured wound elements before the separation
  FIG. 17: individual wound elements as fourfold curls
  FIG. 18 wound elements as granular material.
• FIG. 19a, billustrate the resulting much greater fiber lengths f in an injection moulded part which is manufactured with wound elements according to the invention, in comparison to granular material until now. Both samples are manufactured with a small injection moulding installation with only 35 mm screw diameter:
• FIG. 19awith 10 mm LFT-rod granular material with 30% fiber share,
  FIG. 19bwith wound elements as fourfold curls with 80 mm fiber length f and 12% fiber share.
• The figures show the large difference in the fiber lengths:
• • with material until now: fiber lengths f of 2-8 mm inFIG. 19a,
  • with wound elements: larger share of very long fibers with fiber lengths f of up to 80 mm inFIG. 19b.
• FIG. 20a,20bshow a multiple-installation for the series manufacture of thewound elements5 with a high production performance and productivity with a reduced spatial requirement and energy consumption. Thereby, simultaneously, several (e.g. 50) continuous fiber strands3iare separately fed, wound off, impregnated (28i), in each case wound onto a rotating winding core (22i), advanced thereon, solidified and separated intoindividual wound elements5i. This is analogous to the installation ofFIG. 9a(without axial movement +x1, −x1 of the windingcores22i).
• The windingcores22iare additionally refracted (−x1) instep43 and advanced (+x1) instep44 with a multi-installation according toFIG. 20a, b, analogously to the installation ofFIGS. 10 and 11a. For this, alinear drive30 serves as an advancing unit which moves all rotating windingcores22itogether in the axial direction.
• This method for the simultaneous manufacture ofwound elements5 of several impregnated continuous fiber strands3iruns as follows:
• (41) -separately winding-off severalcontinuous fiber rovings1ifrom winding-offunits11iand their impregnation withmolten polymer material2 in animpregnation tool28 withseveral impregnation locations28i,
  (42) -winding up the impregnated continuous fiber strands3iin each case about a rotating windingcore22i,
  (43) -retracting −x1 and
  (44) -advancing +x1 of the several windingcores22iby way of alinear drive30,
  (45) -cooling and solidifying the windings and separating by way of a multiple separating device27i, intoindividual wound elements5i.
• With this, one can process very many fiber strands3i(e.g. 50) intowound elements5iin a simultaneously rational manner with only oneextruder13, amelt device12, amultiple impregnation tool28i, alinear drive30, amultiple cooling device17iand a multiple cutting device27i.
• A component and a method for manufacturing a component of fiber-reinforced polymer material can be manufactured in a shaping process withwound elements5 according to the invention. Such shaping processes, e.g. are formed by injection moulding, extruding, pressure extrusion, etc. Thereby, the wound elements with regard to shape, type and size can be mutually matched and optimised to the shaping processes and the shaping installation.
• Essential advantages which are achieved with the continuously manufactured wound elements according to the invention as granular material by way of their construction and shaping are e.g.:
• • compact, round wound element granular materials with very large fiber lengths,
  • good pourability and improved feed behaviour,
  • greatly reduced loading of the fibers in the solid matter conveying region, and less fiber breakages due to this, resulting in much greater fiber lengths and a high share of long fibers in the component, e.g. injection moulded part, which is manufactured from this.
• With this, significantly better mechanical characteristics of the manufactured components, particularly injection moulded parts, with regard to strength, stiffness and impact strength can be achieved. In particular, with existing shaping installations, e.g. with smaller injection moulding machines with small screw diameters
• 1. much greater fiber lengths of the wound elements can be processed and
  2. with this, much greater fiber lengths in the component can be achieved.
• The following reference numerals have been used in the framework of the description:
• 1 roving, filament of continuous reinforcement fibers, continuous fiber roving
• 2 matrix material, polymer material
• 3 impregnated continuous fiber strand
• 5 wound element (wound granular material)
• 6 turn
• 6acontinuous winding
• 7 overlapping of6
• 8 winding positions on22, winding region, winding-up location
• 10 installation
• 11 roving feed, winding-off unit, reel
• 12 melting and impregnation device
• 13 polymer, matrix feed, compounder, extruder
• 14 heating of12
• 17 cooling devices
• 17imultiple cooling device with several cooling locations
• 17.1 Venturi nozzle after12
• 17.2 air cooling at the run-in of3
• 17.3 cooling in front of27
• 18 winding device
• 19 cooling device of22
• 20 rotation motor for22
• 20irotation drives
• 21 rotation direction of22
• 22 winding core
• 22awinding core of polymer material
• 23 winding axis
• 24,24.2 guide plate for3, guide elements
• 25 holding-back plate
• 26 guide element for3 at22
• 27 separating device, cutting device for5
• 28 impregnation tool
• 28iseveral impregnation locations
• 29 reel with22a
• 30 linear drive in the axial direction x, positioning drive for22
• 32 longitudinal grooves
• 33 internal water cooling in22
• 34 edges, ribs
• 35 control for11,12,17,18,20,27,30,19,24
• 36 feed device
• 37 withdrawal device for22a
Method Steps41-46:
• 41 winding off and impregnating3
• 42 winding up of3,6
• 43 refraction of22, advance of6 on22
• 44 advance of22
• 45 solidification of5 to22
• 46 cutting off, separation of5
• 51 curled5
• 52 spiral-shaped5
• 53 combined:6 lying over one another and next to one another, mixed form
• x axial direction of23
• x1 displacement path of22
• x2 displacement path of24,24.2
• xa displacement path through26
• t time
• s22 path of22
• s24 path of24,24.2
• f fiber length
Linear Dimensions of5:
• L length
• B width
• H height

Claims (19)

1-21. (canceled)

22. A fiber-reinforced polymer material, in particular for processing in an injection moulding method and extrusion method, comprising:

granular materials with integrated long-fiber reinforcement,

wherein the granular materials are formed from polymer material as wound elements (5) which comprise continuous fiber strands (3) of continuous reinforcement fibers (1) impregnated with polymer material (2),

wherein said wound elements (5) contain more than one turn (6) of the impregnated continuous fiber strands (3), and

wherein the turns (6) in the wound elements (5) in a radial direction to the winding axis (23) at least partly are lying over one another.

23. A polymer material according toclaim 22, wherein the wound elements (5) comprise at least two turns (6).

24. A polymer material according to claim,22 wherein the ratio maximum/minimum of the linear dimensions (L, B, H) of the wound elements (5): max (L, B, H)/min (L, B, H) is at the most 2-3.

25. A polymer material according toclaim 22, wherein the polymer material (2) comprises thermoplasts.

26. A polymer material according toclaim 22, wherein the impregnated continuous fiber strands (3) in the wound element (5) have a fiber share of 20-60% by weight and fiber lengths (f) of more than 25 mm.

27. A polymer material according toclaim 22, wherein the wound elements (5) comprise impregnated continuous fiber strands (3) and additional polymer material (2).

28. A method for the continuous manufacture of granular materials of long-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form of wound elements (5), comprising the steps of:

(41) winding off a roving of continuous reinforcement fibers (1) and impregnating with molten or liquid polymer material (2) for forming an impregnated continuous fiber strand (3),

(42) about a rotating winding core (22) as a winding axis (23) and by means of guiding elements winding the impregnated continuous fiber strand (3) into turns (6) lying at least partly over one another for forming windings (6a),

(43) and thereby displacing the formed windings in the axial direction (+x),

(45) solidifying the windings (6a) by means of cooling or hardening during the further displacement in the axial direction (+x),

(46) subsequent cutting through the solidified windings (6a) at defined distances (L), and by way of this, the formation of individual wound elements (5).

29. A method for the continuous manufacture of granular materials of long-fiber-reinforced polymer material in the form of wound elements (5), characterised by a rotating winding core (22) as a winding axis (23) which is moved in axial direction (−x1, +x1) in an oscillating manner by means of a linear drive (30) for forming wound elements with turns (6) lying over one another and comprising the steps of:

(41) winding off a roving of continuous reinforcement fibers (1) and impregnating with molten or liquid polymer material (2) for forming an impregnated continuous fiber strand (3),

(42) winding the impregnated continuous fiber strand (3) for forming a wound element (5.1) in a winding position (8.1) on the winding core, subsequently (43) retracting (−x1) the winding core (22) and by way of this, advancing the already formed wound elements (5) on the winding core and subsequently (44) advancing (+x1) the winding core (22) and by way of this releasing a new winding position (8.2) for producing a next wound element (5.2)

(45) solidifying the wound elements (5) with a further advance (+x) on the winding core by means of cooling or hardening, and

(46) cutting through the impregnated continuous fiber strand (3) and thus separation of the individual wound elements (5) from one another.

30. A method according toclaim 29, further comprising an additional displacement (+x2, −x2) of the run-in location of the impregnated continuous fiber strand (3) within the released winding position (8) by way of guide plates (24,24.2) which can be adjusted in the x-direction.

31. A method according toclaim 28, wherein a thermoplastic polymer material (2) is used in:

(41) impregnating the continuous reinforcement fibers (1) with heated, molten polymer material (2),

(45) cooling and thus solidifying the wound elements (5) on the winding core (22).

32. A method according toclaim 31 for the simultaneous manufacture of wound elements (5) of several impregnated continuous fiber strands (3i), wherein:

(41) separately winding off several continuous fiber rovings (1i) from winding-off units (11i) and their impregnation with molten polymer material (2) in a multiple impregnation tool (28i)

(42) winding the impregnated continuous fiber strands (3i) in each case around a rotating winding core (22i)

(43) retracting (−x1) and

(44) advancing (+x1) the several winding cores (22i) by way of a linear drive (30).

33. A method according toclaim 28, wherein a rod of fiber-reinforced polymer material (2) is premanufactured and is applied as a winding core (22a) and together with the wound elements (5) is separated into individual wound elements (5) by way of a separating device (27), wherein the winding core (22a) is advanced in the axial direction (x) by way of a feed device (36) and a withdrawal device (37) and is rotated about the winding axis (23).

34. An installation for the continuous manufacture of granular materials of long-fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer material in the form of wound elements (5), comprising:

a winding-off unit (11) for a roving of continuous reinforcement fibers (1), a subsequent melt feed (13) of thermoplastic polymer material (2) and a melt and impregnation device (12) for forming a molten, impregnated continuous fiber strand (3)

a winding device (18) with a winding core (22) for winding, cooling and solidifying the impregnated continuous fiber strand (3) and for forming wound elements (5) with more than one turn (6) and with turns (6) lying over one another,

with a rotation motor (20) for the drive of the winding core (22) with a cooling device (19)

and with a linear drive (30), with which the winding core (22) can be moved in the axial direction in an oscillating manner (−x1, +x1)

for retracting (−x1) the winding core (22) and by way of this for advancing the formed wound elements (5) on the winding core

and for the subsequent advance (+x1) of the winding core, and by way of this for the release of a next winding position (8.2) for winding a next wound element (5.2),

with a cooling device (17) for cooling and solidifying the wound elements (5) on the winding core

and with a separating device (27) for separating the individual solidified wound elements (5) as well as with a control (35) of the installation.

35. An installation according toclaim 34, wherein the winding core (22) is designed metallically, slightly conically (31) and with longitudinal grooves (32) or with edges (34) and/or that it has an inner water cooling (33).

36. A component of fiber-reinforced polymer material (2), wherein the component is manufactured in a shaping process with wound elements (5), according toclaim 22.

37. A method for manufacturing a component of fiber-reinforced polymer material (2), wherein the component is manufactured in a shaping process with wound elements (5), according toclaim 22.

38. A method according toclaim 29, wherein a thermoplastic polymer material (2) is used in:

(41) impregnating the continuous reinforcement fibers (1) with heated, molten polymer material (2),

(45) cooling and thus solidifying the wound elements (5) on the winding core (22).

39. A method according toclaim 29, wherein a rod of fiber-reinforced polymer material (2) is premanufactured and is applied as a winding core (22a) and together with the wound elements (5) is separated into individual wound elements (5) by way of a separating device (27), wherein the winding core (22a) is advanced in the axial direction (x) by way of a feed device (36) and a withdrawal device (37) and is rotated about the winding axis (23).

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